Further Information

Abroad

36. Charity and mission

1. The Phalangist belongs body and soul to the Catholic Church by his entry into her visible, hierarchical and fraternal communion that was instituted by Jesus Christ, and by his active spiritual participation in the profound life of this Mystical Body, which procures for him sacramental grace in abundance and the inner gifts of the Holy Spirit.

To a hidden extent he has a share in the Church’s spiritual reality, a share which depends on God’s mysterious liberality and on his own free response ; this is the order of charity. He also has a share in the visible community – in accordance with her hierarchical discipline – through the functions entrusted to him and the services he is called upon to render ; this is the order of mission.

2. Mindful of the need to be faithful to the Holy Spirit and to be properly subject to Christ and His Church, the Phalangist will strive to progress in charity through a constant application to prayer, penance, the Christian virtues, and that gift of himself which crowns all. Even more, he will wish to serve Holy Church in his rightful place, in obedience to the hierarchy, and according to the functions assigned to him. He will always be mindful of the primacy of discipline in the service of the Christian community, but also of the sovereign primacy of charity in the Kingdom of Heaven.

3. The Phalange itself must merit its place in the hierarchically organised community by its attitude and its spirit of devotion. With respect and obedience it consecrates itself totally to the service of the Church, whilst constituting a society of persons charitably applying itself to the progress of its members.

But since the Church in these times seems to have fallen into the hands of a party – to the great detriment of her unity, holiness, apostolicity and catholicity – it is clear that the Phalange should not expect to be given a mission in the service of the brethren from the spontaneous good will of the Church’s pastors. Her members must lay claim to such a mission by manifesting the orthodoxy of their doctrine, their wish to practise holy charity, their zealous respect for the hierarchy, and their vehement desire to bring spiritual and temporal aid to a world in a state of perdition.